


Beloved Andy

by FairyQueen (etoilecourageuse)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: femmefest, Cross-Generation Relationship, Epistolary, F/F, Femslash, Friendship/Love, Letters, Love Letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7061302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilecourageuse/pseuds/FairyQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Daphne. It appears to me that you become more and more beautiful with every day passing.</i> It all begins with an encounter of Andromeda Black and Daphne Greengrass at a dinner party, and several letters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beloved Andy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nearlyconscious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nearlyconscious/gifts).



_London, England, September 1998_

Dear Madame Tonks, 

Thank you so much for your most gracious offer to assist me with my forthcoming move to France! My parents are too focused on my sister Astoria’s engagement to your nephew to be of any help, and surely I must have been terrible at hiding my many qualms and concerns about this big step in my life; allow me to sincerely apologise for my behaviour! It has, however, been quite a relief to entrust myself to you at Madame Malfoy’s dinner party last week, despite having only met you personally on this very evening. My family’s tales about you have all proved to be wrong, and within hours I have come to admire you, for your strength, and most of all your kindness toward me. 

Certainly, though, you must have grown weary of my complaints, and I do not intend to bother you with irrelevances such as my childish fears of change (particularly in hindsight of this past year’s events that have taken their toll on you much more than they have on me), yet if it is still your wish, I would more than gladly take your offer, as not only due to my lack of language skills I am in dire need of assistance. 

Many thanks in advance, respectfully yours,  
Daphne Greengrass

*****

_Norfolk, England, September 1998_

Dear Miss Greengrass, 

What a pleasant surprise to hear from you so quickly! Let me assure you that your concern about bothering me is unfounded – I have, in truth, very much enjoyed our conversation at my sister’s gathering. Despite having once shared a common room (and perhaps even a life) with those assembled at the tables, it was difficult not to feel misplaced on an evening like this, difficult to follow Narcissa’s invitation after so many years. We cannot undo the past, but it lies in our power to forgive, and these times do not allow for us to hold grudges. 

Please forgive my sentimentality – I will gladly be of assistance with any queries you might have, particularly about the French language; you might not know that my late mother was of French descent, never failing to ensure that we would honour her heritage in the way she deemed it appropriate. Truly, I welcome the distraction. Would you care for a cup of tea at my home this Saturday? I shall be awaiting you. 

Kindly,  
Andromeda Tonks

*****

_London, England, November 1998_

My dear Madame Tonks, 

Do you think that you will be available this upcoming weekend? It feels as though an eternity has passed since our last lesson! I do apologise for my lack of communication, but my parents have ensured to keep me occupied with several things to distract me from my actual goal – I am beginning to believe that they are attempting to prevent my departure… But of course my imagination may simply attempt to fool me with such outrageous assumptions. 

You will be proud of me when you notice the progress I have made during my weeks of independent studies, but of course, no matter how fluent I might become, I would never dare to compare myself to you. During the past weeks I have come to truly enjoy our meetings, and I will admit to missing our conversations outside your instructions as well. Sometimes it feels as though you are the only person in this world to understand me, the only one to take me seriously. In merely two months you have already done so much for me that I am unsure as to how I will ever be capable of repaying you. 

Hoping that you are well and to see you soon,  
Daphne

*****

_Norfolk, England, February 1999_

Dearest Miss Greengrass, 

How have you been faring during your first night in France? It is hard to believe that the day you have anticipated with such growing excitement has come at last; I can only imagine your exhaustion after the journey, and the feeling of relief to find yourself in your own, new bed at last, fading into sleep and dreaming – a dream that is said to come true. Perhaps it will… And perhaps it will bring you all the luck and all the happiness in this world, as you deserve. 

Your new life has begun with this day and truly, I am at loss of words to describe how proud I am of you and what you have achieved over these past few months – you are perhaps the most gifted girl I have ever encountered. It was my pleasure to teach you, as now, that you are no longer in need of a teacher, it will be my pleasure to remain your friend through all times to come, no matter whether they shall be light or dark. 

My best wishes,  
Andromeda Tonks

*****

_Paris, France, April 1999_

Chère Andromède, 

The city never ceases to surprise me anew – yesterday I discovered a small, beautiful café in a place I was certain I had passed several times before, never noticing the chairs and tables; I cannot wait to take you there the next time you come for a visit! Only with your help, I have grown to love Paris as my second home so quickly; only with your help, I have overcome my fears. 

I am so grateful to have you by my side, so grateful for everything you did, you do for me, to be capable of telling you the things I would otherwise be forced to keep to myself. My parents do not seem to miss me, neither does Astoria who is too focused on her upcoming wedding that she even seems to be in danger of neglecting her schoolwork let alone her own sister. Loneliness would perhaps have overwhelmed me by now, weren’t it for you; you keep me sane, you are always here for me, as I am always here for you. 

The upcoming month will be difficult for you, I know, but I promise you that I will be there. I promise you that in those nights you will not be alone, that your house will not be empty. I will be there, just as you will be there for me. Always. 

Bisous,  
Daphne

*****

_Norfolk, England, July 1999_

Daphne,

It appears to me that you become more and more beautiful with every day passing. Your hair, your eyes, your smile… How much you remind me of Narcissa sometimes; even your handwriting seems to bear an eerie resemblance. She is no longer the same, no longer the sweet girl I once used to know, no longer the sister I once used to adore so beyond words, but haven’t we all changed over the years? Sometimes I scarcely recognise myself when looking in the mirror, but perhaps it is for the best. Perhaps I would not be capable of coping with myself, had I remained the same. 

You have grown so special, so dear to me over the past months, dearer than anyone else in this world, as to spend time with you, whether in France or in England, has made me feel alive again after being dead inside for too long, as you have given me hope, provided light in my greatest moments of darkness. After losing everything, I have gained you. 

Paris seems to suit you even better than I have imagined at first; it seems to do you good, you are free, and I could not be happier about seeing you laugh – I could not be happier about seeing you happy. 

Love,  
Andromeda

*****

_Paris, France, October 1999_

Sweet Andy,

When will you come to visit me again? Our weekends together always appear too short to me – it feels as though as soon as I release you from our first embrace you are forced to leave me behind once more, scarcely remembering our touch. I miss you, I miss you more than words could ever express. 

One year ago (how strange it is to remember our first encounter in September, as I believe to have known you my entire life and even longer), during one of our lessons when you were already growing to become my closest confidante, you promised me that one day you would show me the ocean, that one day you would take me to your mother’s hometown, and indeed you did, indeed you never forgot… Do not assume that I remained oblivious to the pain in your eyes, oblivious to the memories that appeared to haunt you… And yet, yet you smiled. You took my hand as we walked, and you smiled… Your strength, your smile, means everything to me. 

Had I known what it would feel like to be without you, to know you so close and yet so far, I would never have left my home, would never have longed for Paris and nearly lost myself, but perhaps… Perhaps otherwise we would never have found each other. 

_Au Revoir,_ Andy. Until we meet again. 

A thousand kisses,  
Daphne

*****

_Norfolk, England, December 1999_

My dearest Daphne, 

We have been apart for too long already; I am counting the days until your return to England, your return to my arms. Ever since your departure the dark shadows of loneliness and grief have come to hold me hostage, particularly now, in this time of familiar bliss, but do not worry about me – I will not surrender, not any more. Once you told me that you admired my strength but in truth it is you who has made me grow strong, stronger than I ever perceived myself to be, and perhaps what they say is true… Perhaps time truly does heal all wounds, even those we believe to be bleeding within us forever. 

But enough of sorrow. How are your studies going? I hope that you are faring well; the photographs you provided with your last letter have once more proved the beauty of Paris during Christmas and, oh, how I wish to be with you… How I desire to hold you… But soon, my darling, we shall once more be united; soon we shall once again look into each other’s eyes, and celebrate the beginning of the New Year together. 

Love always,  
Andy

*****

_Norfolk, England, January 2000_

Beloved Andy, 

A new day has broken. It soothes me to find you sleeping by my side, to find you so calm, so at peace, not noticing that I have long woken and am now watching over you. It soothes me to reach out my hand for yours and to touch you, to intertwine our fingers into one, to feel your breath against my skin… It soothes me to be with you. 

A new day has broken. A new year has begun. A new year, a new century, a new millennium. Time does not stand still, no matter how much we sometimes desire it to, no matter how despairingly we desire to capture moments and never allow them to end. 

Time does not stand still, and perhaps it is for the best, as what would have become of us, weren’t it for time, weren’t it for the many moments we experienced together, as strangers at first, until we began to realise their true meaning? Time does not stand still, it takes away and it gives, allowing us to heal after breaking… A new year has begun, a new millennium, and with it a new era. Our era. 

I once believed that Paris had become my home, that I had found my place in France instead of England, believed that through leaving my family and the country of my birth I could also escape from myself – but I was mistaken. I was blind. 

Time does not stand still. A new year has begun, a new era, and it shall never end. Never again will I move, never again will I leave you behind. My place, my home is with you. With you by my side, there is no need to escape from myself, no need to run away. With you by my side, I am whole.

Forever yours,  
Daphne


End file.
